


To the moon and back (I will love you more than that)

by HopeSilverheart



Series: Loving Em at 2AM [32]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Comfort No Hurt, Everyone ships them, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Girls in Love, Idiots in Love, Introspection, Love Confessions, Pining, This isn't a date but it might as well be, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24813874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart
Summary: “You didn’t hear a word of what I just said, did you?” Isabelle asked her, raising an eyebrow and shaking her head exasperatedly when all Maia did was shrug sheepishly. “I can’t believe it. Here I am, talking about the masterpiece I chose for us tonight, and you can’t even bother listening to me! I’m wounded, Maia, truly. I thought you were my friend, but I was clearly wrong. How am I supposed to trust anyone when even the ones close- Hey!”Maia chuckled at Isabelle’s shocked face. She should have looked ridiculous with pasta flecked all over her face, but she somehow managed to pull even that off. Maia didn’t know whether to be impressed or annoyed at how frustratingly beautiful Isabelle was at all times.Or: Maia finally works up the courage to tell Isabelle about her feelings.
Relationships: Isabelle Lightwood/Maia Roberts
Series: Loving Em at 2AM [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764400
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	To the moon and back (I will love you more than that)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatnerdemryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/gifts).



Maia wasn’t a risk-taker. She was confident and proud of herself, but she rarely went out and tried things if she thought they might go wrong. Especially when it came to her already fragile heart.

She was the kind of girl who liked her comfort, no matter how much she projected an illusion of aloofness and borderline-cockiness. She had a close group of friends whom she loved more than anything and wouldn’t trade for the world. She had a steady job, good grades, and hopes for an even better future. She had been reluctant to do anything that might mess with such perfection.

Except… Except it wasn’t perfection. She had been lying to herself for months, telling herself that her friends and family were enough, that she didn’t need a relationship like Alec and Magnus’ to be happy, that she could be badass and wonderful _alone_. In a way, it was true. She was content with her life and could easily see herself continuing along the same path for a very long time.

However, her heart – the foolish thing – craved more. It wanted love, and it wanted it soon. With Isabelle Lightwood, if possible.

Her apartment’s doorbell rang, and Maia jumped up, smoothing her hair over one last time before hurrying towards the door, hoping she didn’t look too eager or dishevelled. Seconds later, she was smiling brightly at Isabelle’s beautiful face and warm eyes. The brunette looked as stunning as always, and Maia found herself struck speechless, as she so often did when Isabelle was around.

“Heya Maia,” Isabelle greeted her, leaning in to hug her tightly. As always, Maia melted into the embrace, enjoying every single touch she could get out of her friend-turned-crush. It was pathetic, but she had never claimed to be particularly cool or collected. “Am I the first one here?”

Maia’s heart sped up. She wasn’t a risk-taker, but there was a first time for everything. She had been planning this evening for over a week, and she wasn’t about to let her nerves get in the way of her wooing intentions.

“Ah, I forgot to tell you,” Maia grimaced, trying to sound as genuinely contrite as possible. Acting wasn’t her strong suit, but she had been practising these exact lines for hours on end. Comparatively, the real thing was both easier and ten times harder. “The others had to cancel. Turns out Clary and Alec have an exam tomorrow, Jace had to take a late-night shift at the restaurant, and Simon is… Well, who knows? You know he likes to disappear, sometimes.”

“Yeah, I do,” Isabelle laughed. “But what does this mean for game night? We can’t exactly destroy the competition if there’s no one to murder, Maia. You should have told me they weren’t free, we could have rescheduled! Now you’re going to be stuck with me until the end of the night. Because let me tell you, I already have two glasses of wine in me and I am ready for more.”

Maia shook her head fondly, gesturing towards her coffee table where an open bottle of white wine was waiting for them. She had even chosen the brand with Isabelle in mind, knowing the brunette sometimes got a little bit picky when it came to her alcohol. She had hesitated, wondering if it would come off as strange or stalkerish, but had ultimately decided to take the risk.

Besides, the price was going to be well worth it, given how good that wine was. It was strong enough that Maia would be pleasantly tipsy by the time the bottle was empty, but sweet enough that she wouldn’t want to spit it out after two sips. Overall, it was perfect for the night she had in mind.

And for the confession she would have to make eventually, because there was no way she had gone to such trouble to plan this evening only to back out at the last minute. Maia was going to tell Isabelle she loved her if it was the last thing she did. She had been pining for too long already, and all her friends had assured her it would all be alright. She didn’t quite believe them, but she also knew there was something between Isabelle and her.

Something she couldn’t quite explain, something she didn’t really understand. It wasn’t a connection per se, but there was an undeniable spark between them. It was there every time they stared at each other for slightly longer than necessary, every time Isabelle did something sweet even though she was terrible at apologies and grand gestures, and every time Maia accidentally gazed down at Isabelle’s lips when she thought the brunette wasn’t looking.

They had been avoiding the topic of crushes and attraction for almost two years, and Maia had had enough. She wasn’t sure she could take it for much longer. She wasn’t sure if she could continue seeing Isabelle five times a week without kissing her and telling her how much she meant to her.

Hence the private evening disguised as a game night. She would have asked Isabelle out to dinner, but she had been much too nervous for that and had played the safe card instead. Her friends had been more than willing to play along for her sake, and she had never been more thankful for them than she was right then.

“I hope you made something delicious to make up for the lack of company,” Isabelle sighed. “Although, on second thought, perhaps I should be thanking you. One night with my favourite friend might just be worth the loss of blackmail material. Even though I was _really_ looking forward to beating Magnus and Alec at monopoly.”

“As if that’s ever going to happen,” Maia snorted, grabbing the simple – but _delicious_ – pasta dish from the kitchen before walking back into the living area. Isabelle had unsurprisingly made herself right at home on her sofa, legs kicked up at head thrown back. Maia swallowed down desire and longing as she headed for her friend. “Magnus and Alec cheat, and we all know it. The day we find out how they do is the day we’ll finally bring them down, but until then…”

“We’ll have to settle for Clue, I know,” Isabelle pouted. “Now, what do you want to do? Games are out, but there are tons of other ways to have fun between girls.”

Yeah, Maia could think of quite a few _fun things_ to do with Isabelle, not that she was about to say that out loud. The last she wanted to do was come on too strong and scare Izzy away before she could get to what really mattered. She wasn’t tipsy enough to do that yet, which meant she had to stall and find something they could do together.

“We could watch a movie,” she suggested, gesturing towards her brand new TV. Her friends had given it to her for her birthday and had then proceeded to take advantage of it for an entire week before leaving Maia alone. She couldn’t even bring herself to be annoyed at them, not when it gave her the perfect excuse to cuddle with Isabelle in peace. “Or an episode from one of your many, _many_ series, if that’s what you prefer. I’ll probably be lost, but I’m willing to make a sacrifice for you.”

“How generous,” Isabelle rolled her eyes. “But a movie should do the trick. I’d let you choose, but we both know how you get when it comes to making a decision. If we want to start this thing before midnight, I think it’s better if you let me take the reins.”

Maia raised her hands in mock-surrender, all too happy to let Isabelle pick the movie. All it would do was give her more time to go over her little speech. She hadn’t wanted to think about it too much, but at least this way she would be prepared. Given her luck, she would probably forget it all and stumble over her words until Isabelle was more confused than endeared.

By the time she reached the end of her confession in her mind, Isabelle had chosen a movie, gulped down half a glass of wine, and shoved some pasta into her mouth. She looked as comfortable and relaxed as she always did when she was in the apartment, and Maia couldn’t hold back a pleased smile. Isabelle _loved_ being here, and that meant more to Maia than she could possibly explain.

“You didn’t hear a word of what I just said, did you?” Isabelle asked her, raising an eyebrow and shaking her head exasperatedly when all Maia did was shrug sheepishly. “I can’t believe it. Here I am, talking about the masterpiece I chose for us tonight, and you can’t even bother listening to me! I’m wounded, Maia, truly. I thought you were my friend, but I was clearly wrong. How am I supposed to trust anyone when even the ones close- Hey!”

Maia chuckled at Isabelle’s shocked face. She should have looked ridiculous with pasta flecked all over her face, but she somehow managed to pull even _that_ off. Maia didn’t know whether to be impressed or annoyed at how frustratingly beautiful Isabelle was at all times.

“You were talking too much,” Maia murmured, shushing Isabelle when she tried to complain again. “I’m trying to watch this ‘masterpiece’, so I’d appreciate some peace and quiet.”

“I can’t believe this,” Isabelle hissed, throwing her hands in the air and swooning dramatically, her head landing perfectly on Maia’s shoulder.

The curly-haired woman tensed for an instant before sinking even further into the sofa, letting Isabelle’s steadying weight soothe her. This was something she was used to, no matter how hard it made breathing. Her heart fluttered happily and her mind threw thoughts at her by the dozen, but Maia didn’t let any of that show on her face or through her body language.

She had had years to perfect her act, to pretend as though Isabelle’s presence didn’t affect her as much as it did. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to pretend for much longer, but she didn’t want to risk things quite yet. Timing was everything, especially for something as important as a love confession.

And _especially_ when Isabelle was involved. If there was something the Lightwoods loved, it was grand gestures and words of passion spoken in the heat of the moment or in the calmness of the night. They liked things with meaning, messages hidden in memories, all those frivolous things that most people found too awkward or extreme. Thankfully, Magnus had told Maia all about the Lightwoods’ love for dramatics, and Maia had jumped on the opportunity.

She had one chance to do things right, and the last thing she wanted to mess up was timing.

The movie passed slowly, _too_ slowly. Maia was to busy focusing on Isabelle and her feelings and everything she was about to do and say to concentrate on the movie. Truth be told, she didn’t even know what it had been about. All her attention had been Isabelle, not that she regretted it at all.

She wouldn’t mind staring at Izzy for days, let alone for an hour and a half. The brunette was a vision, especially when she was snuggled close to Maia with a small smile on her face. It was a wonder she was single, given how great she was. Maia could only hope that she hadn’t misinterpreted the signs, because she really didn’t want to become yet another girl Isabelle had rejected.

There were too many of those, and Maia refused to be just another name in a long list of people.

“Well, that was nice,” Isabelle whispered as the credits rolled on screen. Maia hummed noncommittally, knowing Izzy had probably noticed how distracted she had been. “Okay, spit it out.”

Point to Maia. Her friend knew her too well not to know something was going on. Especially since Maia hadn’t exactly been subtle. She was too blunt for that, too straight-forward. The first thing she had told herself whilst she was planning this evening was that she couldn’t change herself for Isabelle.

The brunette either loved her for who she was, or she didn’t love her at all. Her confession had to be completely authentic, and that couldn’t happen if Maia was trying to be someone she wasn’t.

“I have something to tell you,” she blurted out, letting all her walls crumble down.

Every single defence she had erected around her heart toppled over. Every single lie she had told Isabelle to hide her feelings faded to the back of her mind, replaced by the love she felt for the brunette. Everything narrowed down to one thing and one thing only: Isabelle Lightwood, the woman she loved.

The woman she had loved for over a year, who had changed her and made her feel worthy and made her want _more_.

“Alright,” Isabelle said slowly. “Is everything alright? You’ve been jumpy and distracted all evening, and I don’t know if it’s something I said or did, but I-”

“It’s nothing like that,” Maia was quick to correct her. “It’s not bad; or at least I hope not. I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately and I feel like I need to get it off my chest before it turns into something ugly. Because believe me, I _really_ don’t want this to turn into something bad. I just- Look, there was never a game night.”

Maia wasn’t sure why that was the first thing that came out of her mouth, but it was too late to take it back now. So much for having a plan and a speech ready; she should have known her brain would screw her over on that one by acting on impulses and instincts rather than certainty.

“There wasn’t?” Isabelle frowned. “But everyone…”

“Yeah, they were all in on this,” Maia mumbled, looking away from Isabelle’s inquisitive eyes. It had been foolish of her to believe she would be able to look at Isabelle as she spoke. There was too much pressure, too much at risk for her to stare into those dark depths and get lost in them as she did every single time. “I just wanted to see you and spend time with you and talk to you about- about this, about us, about whatever it is that happens every time you walk into a room. But you know me, I’m not one for risks, so I faked a game night instead. It was either that or let my feelings fester inside of me forever, so I thought it wasn’t too terrible a plan.”

“It wasn’t,” Isabelle breathed out. “Although I can assure you, I would have said yes to dinner too. For you, I would have even said yes to a hike in the mountains, and we both know how I feel about getting sweaty for something other than-”

“Yes we do,” Maia blushed furiously, looking up at Isabelle through her eyelashes. The brunette’s features showed nothing but hope and trust and something that looked dangerously like what Maia saw in the mirror every time she thought about Isabelle. Something that looked dangerously like _love_. “But as much as I would have adored hiking with you, I was afraid it would sound too much like a- Well, like a date. And although there’s nothing I want more than to take you out and shower you with attention and gifts and pretty things, I didn’t want to do that before we had had a conversation about what we are.”

“What we are?”

“ _Yes_ , Isabelle, what we are,” Maia repeated, trying not to sound frustrated or impatient – she was the one making zero sense at the moment, and taking her annoyance out on Isabelle wouldn’t result in anything good. “We’re close friends, yes, but there’s something else there. Damn it, I’m- I’m so close to being in love with you, Isabelle, and sometimes I wonder if I’m not already there. I can barely think when you’re around, I can’t focus on anyone else when you’re by my side, and I couldn’t even pay attention to a single movie because the only thing I could think about was kissing you! So _yes_ , I need us to talk about what we are, or at least what I am to me. I’m going crazy over here, Izzy, and if I have to pretend to be ‘just your friend’ for even a week longer, I think I might lose it completely.”

Isabelle was gaping at her, her pink lips parted beautifully and her pupils blown wide. She looked more like a goddess than she ever had before, and Maia wanted nothing more than to kiss her. She wanted to ravish this woman and hold her tight and tell her how much she meant to Maia.

However, she had made the first step. She had moved first, and she refused to move again until Isabelle had at least said something. It was the brunette’s turn to speak up; her turn to either turn Maia down gently or just- _do something_.

Maia’s desperate prayer was answered a second later when Isabelle snapped her mouth shut, visibly steeled herself, and leaned in closer to Maia until their lips were pressed together. The kiss was warm and slow and wonderful, and Maia didn’t know what to do.

Her hands were shaking as they reached up to cup Isabelle’s cheeks, and her mind was working on overdrive. Suddenly, she couldn’t remember why she had been so afraid to do this. They sat there on Maia’s couch, kissing each other languidly until they couldn’t breathe, and Maia couldn’t remember why she had waited so long to act.

If this was the result, she should have taken the first step months ago, as soon as she had realised Isabelle felt something for her too. They had wasted _so much time_.

“There’s no use in thinking about what could have happened,” Isabelle whispered against her lips. Because of course, this beautiful human being was also apparently a mind-reader. “We’re here now, aren’t we? You made us a lovely pasta dish, bought this ridiculously fancy wine for me, and gave the most amazing speech I have ever heard. Who knew you were so good at love confessions, Maia?”

“Certainly not me,” Maia murmured, giggling nervously. “I think I’m still high on the adrenaline and fear.”

“Well, hopefully not for long,” Isabelle breathed out. The small gust of air sent shivers running down Maia’s spine, and she briefly wondered how it was possible to feel so light whilst still being on the ground. “I don’t know if I’m in love with you quite yet, but you’re the most amazing person I know, Maia Roberts, and I would be an idiot to turn you down. I’m not as good at romantic speeches as you are, but, well… I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can feel free to take me on as many dates as you want to.”

“Even hiking?” Maia asked innocently, already leaning in for another kiss.

“Even hiking,” Isabelle answered amusedly just as their lips met.

And that was how, sitting in her run-down apartment with leftover pasta and the bottom of a wine bottle in front of her as well as a stunning woman kissing her, Maia discovered the ending was sometimes more than worth the risk.

**Author's Note:**

> Heya guys! Thank you so much for reading! These fics still aren't beta'ed or edited, so excuse any mistakes you might find! I've been wanting to write Maiabelle for Em again for quite a while but never found the right moment until tonight. Apparently, I've decided to project all my unresolved feelings onto them, therefore this happened! I hope you all enjoyed this little bit of pointless fluff <3
> 
> Love, Junie. 
> 
> (find me on tumblr @hopesilverheart)


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